Photography Business Card Guidelines | With the introduction of smartphones and other technological advancements, many photographers no longer carry around business cards. However, business cards are far from being dead; they’ve just been evolving. From QR codes and NFC tiles that point to your website, Facebook page or other contact point when scanned, to augmented reality showcase examples of your work on a smartphone screen, there are plenty of creative elements you can include in your card to boost its effectiveness and add value to it.

However, the essence of the business card has remained the same, and unless you sort out the vital elements from the get-go, your business card won’t be as effective as you hoped, no matter how many innovative tricks and gimmicks you use. Business cards may be small, but when done right, they can pack a powerful punch, help you stand out, reinforce your brand and boost your business. To help you get started on the right track, we created a list of the most important elements you need to keep in mind while designing your business card. Let’s get started!

Start With The Basics | Photography Business Card Guidelines

Business cards have been around for centuries now – from the 17th century’s trade and visiting cards given to the lady of the house to announce the visitor, to the today’s cards we all know and use on a daily basis. However, little has really changed: the main purpose of a business card is still to establish new connections and provide the recipient with more information about you. Needless to say, the information you decide to include can make or break your card, so it’s important you take the time to figure out exactly which details will be most useful.

So, what’s most important? Your name should definitely be there, as well as the name of your business, and relevant contact information such as address, email, telephone and anything else you feel the need to add. For example, many photographers decide to leave out the physical address, especially if they don’t own a studio, so you can consider replacing it with your social media information if you use social media to promote the services and products you’re offering.

Ensure Readability | Photography Business Card Guidelines

In order to make your business card effective, choosing the most important information is just the first step. You will also need to make sure the information you include is actually readable, so don’t shrink down the text in order to fit more details. In fact, a good rule of thumb is sticking to sizes larger than 8 pts, especially for the most important details. The font itself is another element that can make or break your card: don’t use an overly complex font that’s difficult to read. The last thing you want is to have a potential client sitting there and trying to decipher your business card.

Stand Out | Photography Business Card Guidelines

We’re all handed dozens of cards each week, so it’s no wonder that your business card is likely to end up in a pile in a desk drawer, which is exactly why using cheap generic templates found online is a bad idea. You want your business card to stand out from even the largest pile, so look for ways to make it stand out – whether you use a vertical layout instead of the more traditional horizontal layout, a particular printing technique, or something completely else to grab the attention. However, keep in mind that minimal designs don’t necessarily have to be boring. Using a high-contrast black-and-white scheme, simple frames for details, and using sans serif fonts in uppercase can make a layout that’s a breath of fresh air.

Reinforce Your Brand | Photography Business Card Guidelines

Your business card will provide your potential clients with your most important contact details, but that’s not all it can do. When designed right, it can reinforce your brand and boost your exposure. This is why we make sure we use the brand’s color scheme and fonts used throughout other branded materials whenever we design a business card for a client. By using the same brand elements throughout your materials, you will ensure consistency, and your clients will learn to recognize your brand, whether they’re holding your business card, seeing your letterhead, or visiting your website. In other words, you will turn your brand identity into a memorable visual experience.

Some Rules Aren’t Meant To Be Broken | Photography Business Card Guidelines

Many business owners will decide to use an unusual shape or print their cards in an untraditional size in order to make them stand out. However, there are considerable drawbacks you need to keep in mind. For example, business card holders and wallets are made to accommodate the standard business card. In the States, the typical business card measures 3.5 x 2 inches. In other parts of the world the size is slightly different, but so are the card holders and wallets. If your business card is too large to fit a potential client’s wallet, it’s likely to end up in the trash the moment the meeting is over.

The Devil Is In The Detail | Photography Business Card Guidelines

No matter how stunning your card’s design is, it won’t do you much good if you decide to go cheap and print your cards on the most affordable paper stock. Your clients will definitely notice the difference between a cheap paper and a thicker, more luxurious stock, which can affect their first impression more than you think. If you use a cheap paper that gets dented (or even worse, torn) easily, what will that tell your potential clients about the quality of the services and products you’re offering?

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MediaNovak is a creative design agency that specializes in web design, online marketing, graphic design and corporate identity solutions. We started our company with some basic ideals—offer our customers exceptional design, while delivering a positive customer experience.

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